50 facts about Vincent D'Onofrio: gained 70 lb for the role

Vincent D'Onofrio 50 things about acting career and life.

1. His middle name is Philip.

2. He is not only an actor but also director, producer, writer, and singer.

3. He is known for his roles as Private Leonard Lawrence in the war film Full Metal Jacket, Edgar in Men in Black, and Detective Robert Goren in the crime television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

4. D'Onofrio was born in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, New York and is of Italian descent, from Sicily.

5. He is the son of Gennaro D'Onofrio, an interior designer and theater production assistant.

6. His mother Phyllis is a server and restaurant manager.

7. His parents met while Gene was stationed in Hawaii with the U.S Air Force.

8. His sister Antoinette owns the Rib City restaurant in American Fork, Utah.

9. His other sister Elizabeth is an actress and drama coach residing in Fort Myers Beach, Florida.

10. Was raised in Hawaii and Colorado in his younger years.

11. His parents divorced when he was young, and his mother later married George Meyer,who had a son, Guy, and daughter, Connie, from a previous marriage.

12. As child D'Onofrio became interested in magic and sleight of hand, tricks he learned from Cuban entertainers who owned a small magic shop.

13. As a teen he worked backstage, building sets and running sound at a number of community theaters run by his father.

14. Graduated from Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School.

15. Was involved with small community theater productions during 18-month stint at the University of Colorado.

16. Studied method acting at the American Stanislavsky Theater and the Actors Studio under coaches Sonia Moore and Sharon Chatten.

17. His first paid role was in Off-Broadway's This Property Is Condemned.

18. D'Onofrio continued his career by performing in many New York University student productions.

19. Was working as a bouncer at the Hard Rock Cafe.

20. Worked also as a bodyguard for Robert Plant and Yul Brynner.

21. One of his jobs was to be a deliveryman.

22. In 2012, D'Onofrio returned to teach at the Lee Strasberg Theater & Film Institute where his daughter, Leila George, is a student.

23. In 1986, D'Onofrio took on the role often considered the defining moment in his acting career, as Pvt. Leonard Lawrence, an overweight and mentally unstable Marine recruit in the movie Full Metal Jacket.

24. D'Onofrio gained 70 lb for the role, bringing his weight to 280 lb.

25. While filming D'Onofrio injured his left knee, compounded by the excessive weight, which required surgical reconstruction.

26. Lost nearly all the weight gained for the movie in just nine months.

27. D'Onofrio made a move to television and received an Emmy nomination for his appearance as John Lange, the doomed victim in the Homicide: Life on the Street episode "Subway".

28. In 1999, he turned down a role in The Sopranos.

29. In November 2005, D'Onofrio won Best Actor at the Stockholm International Film Festival for his role as Mike Cobb in the independent film Thumbsucker.

30. On October 27, 2009, D'Onofrio made his musical debut, appearing in character as comedic country singer George Geronimo Gerkie at Joe's Pub in New York City.

31. In September 2011, Australian Hip-Hop band, "The Funkoars" released an album titled The Quickening, featuring the song "Being Vincent D'Onofrio", homage to D'Onofrio's career, and his work on Law and Order: Criminal Intent.

32. In February 2012, the band announced their upcoming "Being Vincent D'Onofrio Tour 2012" with artwork featuring D'Onofrio's face in place of the band members.'

33. In 2014, D'Onofrio released two songs as part of an avant-garde spoken word project with multi-instrumentalist and composer, Dana Lyn.

34. The full album was made available for purchase just recently, in March, 2015, on the band's website.

35. In 1998 D'Onofrio, his father Gene, and his sister Elizabeth founded the River Run International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.Annually, the festival showcases the best films offered from the independent and international industry as well as those from student filmmakers.

36. In 2008 alongside his sister, Toni, D'Onofrio began hosting events to raise money for the Utah Meth Cops Project.

37. Served as the project's spokesperson from 2009-2012.

38. Became a member of the Advisory Board for the Woodstock Film Festival which holds an annual event for independent films.

39. In February 2011 he became a public face of the gun control debate, appearing in an ad by the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City urging a ban on large-capacity ammunition magazines.

40. On August 9, 2012, it was announced that D'Onofrio had been chosen to be the narrator of the documentary, "Heroes Behind The Badge". Released in the fall of 2012, the film follows four fallen officers and the impact their deaths have had on their families, colleagues and their communities. Proceeds will benefit a memorial museum being built in Washington, D.C.

41. Was in a relationship with actress Greta Scacchi, with whom he made several films in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The couple had one daughter, Leila George.

42. On March 22, 1997, D'Onofrio married Dutch model Carin van der Donk, and the couple had a son, Elias Gene.

43. The couple had split but later reconciled and had another son named Luka.

44. On November 10, 2004, D'Onofrio collapsed on the set of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

45. Collapsed again at home a few days later, and after further testing was diagnosed with exhaustion.

46. Best known as Detective Robert Goren in Law and Order: Criminal Intent.

47. His character in Law & Order was based on Sherlock Holmes.

48. He is left-handed.

49. In one of his films the director was not happy with Vincent D'Onofrio's voice so he had it dubbed over.

50. He bleached his hair blonde for his part in Adventures in Babysitting.